1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a reproducing apparatus and a reproducing method for use with for example a DVD (Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc)
2. Description of the Related Art
A particular type of a DVD video disc that is conventionally available has an area for a jacket picture as well as an area for video contents data. On the other hand, with a CD (Compact Disc: registered trademark) and a CD extra disc, audio data and video data can be recorded thereon. Thus, a reproducing apparatus for a DVD video disc, a CD video disc, and/or a CD extra disc can display one still picture recorded on a disc on a displaying unit.
In addition, a disc changer having many disc slots is known. With the disc changer, the user can select one of discs accommodated in the disc slots and causes the disc changer to reproduce contents data from the selected disc. With the disc changer, a disc is selected by directly designating a slot number corresponding to a desired disc. Alternatively, with a GUI (Graphical User Interface) that shows a list of text information correlated with discs, a disc is selected by designating desired text information.
However, when the user directly designates his or her desired disc, since the amount of information provided to the user is insufficient, it is difficult for him or her to select his or her desired disc from many discs.
On the other hand, when the user can manage the discs accommodated in the disc changer and search his or her desired disc therefrom using picture information correlated with the discs, it is expected to improve the visibility and operability of the disc changer.
To accomplish the GUI, it is necessary to simultaneously display a plurality of index still pictures such as jacket pictures on the screen of the displaying unit. In this case, it is necessary to allow the user to perform operations for the displayed still pictures (for example, a moving operation, a deleting operation, and a scrolling operation) without a deterioration of the picture quality.
When picture contents are reproduced from optical discs having different formats, their picture frame sizes are different. Even if the types of optical discs are the same, their picture frame sizes vary corresponding to television systems.
When a plurality of jacket pictures of different picture frame sizes are simultaneously displayed and operated, the controlling process becomes complicated.